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Academy Awards 2012: What time are the Oscars on TV?

What time are the Oscars? Despite what you may see online, the 84th Academy Awards show starts at 5:30 p.m. Pacific on ABC.

Yet on the academy site and ABC.com, the promos clearly state: "Live Oscar Sunday Feb. 26 7e | 4 p." So what gives? In reality, that's when red carpet coverage begins in earnest on flagship network ABC. But the show itself, which will feature Billy Crystal as host and Cirque du Soleil performing at the Hollywood & Highland complex, won't start until 90 minutes later.

Whether you're just interested in the ceremony or being fully immersed in everything Oscars, there's plenty of coverage before, during and after the show.

Among the questions for the night: Will "The Artist" continue its awards show run by taking home the best picture Oscar, or will a film such as "The Descendants," "The Help" or "Hugo" be able to knock it off its perch? Will Viola Davis become only the second African American actress to win the Oscar for best actress for her role in "The Help"? And will Sacha Baron Cohen try to show up as his "Dictator" character?

You can follow all the action live on The Envelope. For TV coverage, see the list below.